22 Things You Didn’t Know About Allie Beckwith

Last weekend, I attended one of Allie Beckwith’s photo workshops in Saint John, which was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had all summer. (And for those of you who don’t know, Allie Beckwith is a 22-year-old fashion photographer, artist, and co-founder of AKA DECOR.)

She showed me how to use the f-stop on my camera, how to make the background of a picture blurry, and most importantly, how to seamlessly edit a plug out of a picture (THANK YOU) but seriously, I learned so much. PLUS we got to practice shooting with two amazing New Brunswick models, Nicki Palmer and Tayrn Fitzpatrick! If you’re interested in photography, I seriously recommend taking one of her workshops.

After the two-day workshop was over, I talked to Allie about blogging, marketing, and how to get ahead as a creative person. Her answers were great and she gave me some really good advice.  I learned so much about photography and blogging, but I also learned a lot of things I didn’t know about Allie. Post conversation, I KNEW I had to interview her!

Before I met her, I had a pretty standard idea of how she did things in terms of photography (I assumed she used extra lights, had multiple cameras, and used insane editing techniques) but I was so wrong! I also asked her about her personal life. So ladies and gentlemen, here are 22 things you probably didn’t know about Allie Beckwith.

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1. She has played hockey her entire life.

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 2. One of her photos will appear in the September issue of British Vogue Magazine

I used to say, having photos in Vogue magazine [was my biggest dream]. And I’ll tell you a little secret: This dream has come true! I have a photo in the September issue of British Vogue. The issue will be available next month. It’s pretty surreal to think about and actually makes me pretty emotional. It’s one of those things that I pictured happening for so long, but also wasn’t my main priority as I started working towards so many other avenues and putting my energy into more than just fashion photography. But to me it just proves that consistency is the key here. I work on all my things as equally as I can, and over time they all get stronger and stronger. They start getting recognized in big ways.

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3. She loves Eminem

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4. She only uses TWO different camera lenses

I shoot with a Canon 60D and for lenses I use a 50mm 1.2L and a 17-40mm 1:4L.

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5. She’s photographed supermodels like Jourdan Dunn and Karlie Kloss

Shooting those girls was pretty surreal. Seeing them in Vogue for huge campaigns and designers, and only on the internet and magazines, and then seeing them in person was pretty amazing. But photographing them MYSELF, was a dream come true. They are so so nice and obviously made photographing very, very easy. We were backstage at Alexander Wang in New York, and I couldn’t wait to photograph Karlie in her final hair and makeup, I stuck around until completed, chatted a little and got my shots. I was giddy for the rest of the week and couldn’t believe I had photographed Karlie Kloss!!!

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6. She has a little brother who is 8 years old and an older sister who is 28

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7. She rarely uses artificial lighting

I use very minimal gear when shooting. I prefer a small team and sometimes really just prefer me and the model. I get my best shots with no distractions, no nonsense. I very rarely use artificial lighting, and if I do it’s a one or two light setup with soft light. I shoot in natural light in open spaces. I really like efficiency.

 If my vision has something that could be a 4 or 5 light setup, I map it out in my head, -how can I recreate this using a window, or a location that is backlit as well as front -lit?

I avoid over complicating things, and I learned this very early on that you don’t need 50 lights, softboxes, reflectors and backdrops to get good shots. If you challenge yourself to work in your given situation or location, you will end up confident shooting in any circumstance. It forces you to get comfortable with your camera, surroundings and alternative lighting.

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8. Her favourite types of shoots are fashion shoots

It’s where my heart is and it is definitely where I am the most creative. It’s really rewarding planning a big shoot, booking models, hair, makeup and wardrobe and coming out at the end of an exhausting day with awesome final images.

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9. She’s left-handed

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10. The ocean is where she goes to relax

I really love spending time by the ocean for a good breather. There’s something about it that really calms me down during a crazy week. It’s been my go to place for a lot of years and I always find myself back there no matter how old I am.

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11. She’s been painting and drawing since she was a little girl

In the recent years I really started sharing my paintings on my social media. I was a little hesitant in the beginning because I wanted to be recognized as a photographer and didn’t want to get the two confused. But, I couldn’t stop. The more I shared with the public the better the reaction was from everyone. It’s really interesting and surprisingly the two don’t get mixed up, I just get booked for both separately, often!

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12. She’s obsessed with blueberry muffins from McDonald’s.

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13. AKA DECOR happened by accident (kind of)

AKA is my newest venture. It kind of happened by accident! My co-founder Katie and I started brainstorming ideas for a cushion business at my cottage one weekend. I had wanted her to start it on her own, or SOMEONE to start one. I had bounced it off Kayley Reed @ Wear Your Label, I had tried to convince my aunt Margo that she should start it since she loved sewing (but not me!!! I had too much on my plate and can’t even sew.) BUT I had a vision of what it could be. By the end of the weekend, Katie had convinced me to be in on making this happen, proposing we use my artwork as a trial. We went for it, and after bouncing ideas and talking with mentors and making our own samples, our brand started to develop.

We are now AKA DECOR–Art known as decor. We combine original artwork, photography, poetry and design into our products. We wholesale to numerous stores throughout Canada, and all of our designs are made in Canada. We collaborate with stores, boutiques, commercial and personal spaces to come up with exclusive lines that fit both their brand and ours.

Right now, all the designs are made from my artwork, but our vision is bigger than that. Our plan is to collaborate with featured artists for specific lines designed by them.

AKA is an amazing fluke for me. It combines every single thing that I love doing into one company. I get to create endlessly, collaborate with other creative people, work with the best, and also get my nerdy business, networking  fix in there too.

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14.She’s only 5 feet tall

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15. She’s a workaholic

I work A LOT, sometimes to the point where it’s annoying. It’s hard for me to shut off; even when I am lying in bed sometimes I drive myself nuts. I have to get out of bed to write down an idea or make a note in my phone.

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16. Dulcedo Management takes care of her brand and social media inquiries.

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17. She loves dark chocolate

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18. Her grandmother is VERY near and dear to her heart 

I call her Sito, (it’s Lebanese.)She is and has been the closest person to me, my whole life. She has always been the rock that I needed, the one thing that always stayed the same when everything else was in shambles. When I moved away to Montreal, she called me every single day that I was there for three months, if it started getting late, I’d call her and say “Hello!! Did you forget about me???” She’s sassy and witty and the most loving person in the world.

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19. Her grey t-shirt dress by CassBurr Designs is her favourite thing in her closet, alongside her Nike Slides

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20. If she wasn’t a photographer—she’d be a motivational speaker

I would love love love to be a motivational speaker, and hopefully this is one I can still achieve eventually. But, sadly I think I missed my chance for being a singer or rock-star. Don’t tempt me with a stage and microphone though, because I WILL find a way to entertain.

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21. She’s awful at math

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22. A cover shot in Vogue is one of her biggest dreams

Getting an editorial or cover of Vogue would be a pretty big dream. And being able to work for myself for the rest of my career would also be pretty awesome.

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And there you have it! 22 things you didn’t know about Allie Beckwith!

Check out Allie’s website and blog (which are two different websites so check both of them out!) OR follow her on Instagram @alliebeckwith 

You can also check out AKA DECOR for their amazing pillows!

**All photos are courtesy of Allie Beckwith through her blog and Instagram profile**

 

 

3 Ways to Customize Your Country Liberty Tank Top

Country Liberty tank tops are good for more than just country concerts and summer wear. With some imagination and a pair of scissors, a CL tank can become a staple item in your closet that you can wear all year long! You can pair them with jeans or overalls for a country feel, or a leather skirt and a long duster for a nighttime look. I recently customized THREE of their tanks into cropped tops and fashion shirts. Here are the results, and here is how I did it. 

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#1. The bralette-cut tank 

Showing off bralettes and sports bras underneath a shirt is a huge fashion trend right now! With a little work, your CL tank can fit right into this trend, and you can pair it with whatever you want. 

Instructions: 

1. Cut the outer hems around the sleeves of the tank top. DON’T cut the inner hems (the ones closest to your neck.)
2. Continue to cut past the hem to make a wider sleeve opening.
3. Make the opening as large as you want
4. You’re done! Pair with a bralette or sports bra.
   

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#2. The tied cropped tank

This style goes great with a pair of jeans, or even a skirt! 

Instructions: 

1. Beginning on the right side of the shirt, cut the shirt straight across until you ALMOST reach the first side of the guitar pick.
2. Once you’ve almost reached the guitar pick, cut straight down vertically to the end of the shirt. Make a triangle shape (you will later use the triangle to tie the shirt.)
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 starting on the left side.
4. Make sure that the front of the shirt and the back of the shirt are cut evenly.
5. Put on the shirt and tie the front of the shirt together with the two triangles.
6. Tie the shirt as tight or as loose as you want! (I went for a looser look.)
   

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3. The regular cropped tank 

You can make this as short or as long as you want! I prefer my cropped tops a bit below my belly button, so I cut it a few inches below the guitar pick.

Instructions: 

1. Starting from the right, cut tank straight across. (Cut the front on the shirt and the back of the shirt together so that it is even.)
2. Cut hems of sleeves for a lighter look
3. Pair whatever you want.
   

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And there you have it. Three ways to customize a Country Liberty tank top! 

Visit countryliberty.ca to get your tank today, and follow them on Insta and Twitter to be featured!

 

 

 

Model: Kendra Miner

Shirt Sizes: Red (S), Blue (S), White (M) 

 

 

 

 

3 Ways to Wear Silk Scarves

Scarves aren’t only for fall and winter, they can be worn in spring and summer too! They are the perfect accessory as they can be worn so many ways, and actually provide benefits for your hair and skin! So with that, here are three ways to wear scarves featuring Dee Wilkie’s silk creations.

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1. Wear as a wrap

Remember when you were young and wraps were in? Well, they’re in again. Don’t be shy to rock a trendy silk wrap. It’s faster than putting shorts on, and comfier!

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2. As a head wrap or headband

To add extra edge to your outfit, create your own headband with a silk scarf! Silk is so light that it can also help you to keep cool from the sun.

FUN FACT: Silk helps protect your hair from getting tangled. Wrap your hair in a silk scarf before bed to help keep hair in place. After a trip from the hairdressers, a silk scarf can help hold the coiffed style of your hair for up to a few days!

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3. As a top

Use your creativity and turn your silk scarf into a top by tying, clipping, or pinning it. It’s a fun option for the pool or beach if you don’t happen to have a bikini, or if you need a backup!

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Each of Dee’s scarves are uniquely designed and hand-dyed from her home. Her newest collection of scarves, The Blogger Collection, is inspired by New Brunswick bloggers (the purple tie-dyed one is inspired by me!!)

IF YOU want to get your hands on one of these awesome silk scarves, make you check out Dee Wilkie’s launch party this Thursday at the Maybee Brewing Company in Fredericton at 7:30 p.m. where she will be selling all of her creations!

 

Models: Kiana Vautour and Anica Paul 

Assistant director: Miah Vautour 

 

 

10 Facts About Country Liberty

Have you ever wanted to turn a place you LOVE into a product and rep it everywhere you go? That’s what cousins Sawyer and Tye Hannay did. They turned their home, their backyard, their family and friends, and country lifestyle into a brand and called it Country Liberty. This hinterland lifestyle brand was created in 2014, and been growing ever since. It’s been making appearances at places like the Cavendish Music Beach Festival, Canaan Country Music Fest, the Miramichi Irish fest, and many more. Their story, like their brand is simple.

Sawyer Hannay was a professional hockey player on the road, and wanted to create something that would represent his hometown. Tye worked as a carpenter. They started out by making 12 prototype t-shirts that represented their home; Kent County, New Brunswick. Today, Country Liberty is expanding throughout Canada and the apparel brand now sells tank tops, hoodies, baseball shirts, hats, tuques, deckles and beer cosies.

They recently hired an intern—Alex Dickens—to help for the summer.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to talk to Sawyer about his company. Here is everything you need to know about Country Liberty.

1. The guitar pic shaped logo was inspired from Sawyer’s first trip to Nashville

I was in Indiana for hockey, and I drove to Nashville for the day. I was still in the brainstorming process. I seen an upside down guitar pick, and I said “every logo has to be a shape.” So why choose a circle or a square or a triangle when your shape can be relative to your brand. Nashville is an awesome place to be, its a country music hub. 

2. They make their products stand out by staying true to their brand

First of all, if you don’t believe in something you cant sell it. I think its impossible. I think at one point you’ll break. But for us, its so natural that, I think its our most powerful tool. It’s not something we need to force or something we need to work on, or research, its just something that comes naturally.

3. They are cautious when it comes to colours

Our colours are based off people who share our values—country-oriented people. They are often very conservative people, and their fashion is as followed. But we also pay attention to the mainstream of course, and we kind of try to meet in the middle. Some of our products reflect that. We try to find a balance between colours.

4. They created their simplicity collection in order to cater to everyone

We felt it was the next necessary move. The country life is the simple life—it’s no secret, and we felt we needed to relay that in more ways than one. It’s one thing to just preach that your simple and it’s another to design something that represents it without using words. We’re trying to accommodate everybody. Everyone’s comfortable with something different. 

5. They want people to be brutality honest about their products

We are constantly asking people what they like, what they don’t like, and a big part of us is actually hoping that they will be brutality honest with us and if they don’t like something, we want them to come over and tell us so we can correct it and accommodate them even better (in a respectable and private way, of course.) 

6. They don’t let their personal style preferences take over 

I’m a very particular style, which probably doesn’t represent the general public. We don’t just look in the mirror and say “okay what do I want to wear today,” because that’s not the question we need to answer. The question is what would THEY like to wear. We don’t try to  accommodating ourselves, we try to accommodate everyone. 

7. The Hannay cousins come from a long line of business men.

We are lucky to be born into business. My father owns his own business, and my grandfather owned it before him, and my uncle owns his own business so I constantly have people I can turn to to ask different questions.

8. Their customers are their biggest consultants

Every customer I come in contact with can help me in different ways. My step-brother, Peter Whynot, has been heavily involved since the very beginning. He runs the retail outlet in Rexton, so he’s certainly of the top guys that we really turn to, especially since he’s there selling every day, he knows information that we don’t even know.

9. Professional athletes and musicians love it   

Country Liberty has caught the attention of professional boxers and NHL players including Ryan Johansen, Matt Beleskey, Sean Couturier, Zach Fucale, Brandon Brewer, and Nathan Millier. Musicians like Dean Brody, Tristan Horncastle, Jess Moskaluke,Wes Mack, Cory Marquardt, TJ King and many others have been spotted with it as well.

One of the most rewarding parts of it thus far is seeing musicians you’ve looked up to and love recognize the brand. That’s really cool. 

The fact that people can approach you and not compliment you, but compliment your brand and say “oh this is cool,” thats really neat. And people I don’t even know, or don’t even know me and have no loyalty to me or Tye or any of us, like really distant people are catching on to this and really liking this and it’s super rewarding to see that. 

10. They want to collaborate with you

We are certainly looking for different collaborations all the time. We’re working on a couple here and there. We’re a community, and we need each other to get anywhere, to do anything. We need to help each other, and I firmly believe. Anytime somebody asked me for help, I help them, and there’s often times when I need help. I really really emphasize the importance of collaboration, especially locally, especially in Atlantic Canada because it is a small area. I would love for anyone to contact me about collaboration ideas, because those are the fun projects to be working on. 

Sawyers Favourites: 

Favourite country song: Different for girls by Dirk’s Bently

Favourite brands: Levi’s, Dickies, and Canadian brands like Wear Your Label, EastCoast Lifestyle, and Ten Tree

Favourite BBQ food: Ribs cooked by his mom

Favourite frozen treat: Mint chocolate chip ice cream

Favourite place to hang out: On the Richibucto River

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You can buy Country Liberty online or in stores at Surf’s Up in Rexton, NB, or Subtown in Fredericton at the University of New Brunswick.

Follow them on Insta and Twitter. 

Introducing Dee Wilkie- The Designer Who Just Keeps Going

In the past few years, you may have seen photos similar to this one. A model swathed in vibrant, flowing silk. You notice the model and the silk, and then you may wonder about the photographer. But I bet you rarely think of the person who made the fabric, or who created its design. Allow me to push the spotlight towards New Brunswick designer, Dee Wilkie. She’s often the one behind shots like these around New Brunswick, or is heavily involved.

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She’s a surface designer. She doesn’t design clothing, or shoes, or accessories. She creates the patterns that appear on them using different techniques. It’s a job that requires a lot of hard work, and often goes without public recognition.

But today, she’s getting ready to formally introduce herself to the world with the launch of her new website. On August 11, her site will go live and will be celebrated at Maybee Brewery with food, drinks, a pop-up shop and music. She even booked a magician. 

“I want people to be excited about something,” says Dee.

It’s on a Thursday night, and the invitation is open to everyone.

The idea of the launch party was inspired by the Nora Swimwear launch and pop-up shop at Tilleule back in May. It gave her something to be excited about.

“Everyone who lives here says there’s never anything to in Fredericton,” she says.

“So I’m trying to create something to do.”

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Dee was born in Nova Scotia, grew up in Fredericton, but moved around a lot as a kid. She attended Unionville High School for a while, a place with a reputable arts program outside of Toronto. Alumnus of the school includes actors Nathan Stephenson (Radio Free Roscoe) and Hayden Christensen (Star Wars.) She auditioned, and got accepted into their drama program, and took courses like photography and pottery.

Dee moved back to Fredericton and graduated from Leo Hayes High School. She attended St. Francis Xavier University (STFX) for two years where she was taking a bachelor of arts program and took a course on batik—a technique used to dye fabric using a wax resist. She fell in love with the course.

After two years, she transferred to the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in Fredericton where she studied textiles and surface design. She learned to screen print, tie-dye, and how to paint fabrics with techniques like gouda and shibori.

After graduating in 2012, she quickly realized that she didn’t have the proper business skills to sell her products or promote herself.

“I think that’s why a lot of people don’t end up doing anything after they graduate from the school because they don’t have the resources.”

So, she decided to teach herself. With no proper materials to create designs or patterns, Dee improvised by using objects from her home. She created on her floor. She used masking tape to hold down her fabrics, and bath towels to guard the mess. 

The process of professional dyeing also includes steaming the garments for hours with an expensive steamer, but instead, she did it manually with an iron.

“I’m just kind of faking it till’ I make it.”

Once she learned how to create on her own, she started out by selling headbands at the North Side Market, and in Barracks downtown. After six months, sales got low, and she gave up. She stopped creating and concentrated on her day job as a lead generator at Skillsoft. 

But, she couldn’t stay away from it for long.

“It’s one of those things that no matter how many times you hang it up, it just keeps coming back to you.”

After awhile, she decided to start dyeing again, just for fun. She forgot how much she loved it.

In spring of 2014, she was asked to model for Veronica McIssac—a respected tartan designer from Nova Scotia. At the fashion show, Dee noticed a model who she thought would look good in one of her silks, and got the idea of arranging her own photoshoot. Soon after, her vision came to life. She arranged her first photoshoot with photographer Lance Kenneth Blakley.

“It was everything I wanted and more, it just inspired me.”

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Ever since then, Dee continues to create new pieces from her floor, and work with different photographers, designers, and models. She estimates she has been involved in almost 40 photoshoots and projects. A few of her signatures include Seven (which was featured on CBC), and DEFINE—a collaborative project with Lance Kenneth Blakney and Wear Your Label.

Dee Wilkie billowing fabric during a shoot

Today, Dee is collaborating with a Syrian refugee family. The father of the family is making pillows, and she will screen print the designs. They will be called Unity Pillows. On one side will be written a word like love or hope in English. The other side will have the same word written in Arabic.

The 26-year-old designer has also been making a collection of blogger scarves—hand-dyed silk scarves that represent local bloggers. It’s a way she can promote herself AND collaborate new people.

Dee also runs her own blog, and tries to post at least twice a week. She does all of this in hopes to one day reach her biggest dream: She wants to become a household name.

“I’m not meant for the cube life,” she says.

She hopes that the pillows, the scarves, and the launch of the her website will bring her more opportunities for collaborations and work.

“I want people to go to my website as a place to find encouragement, and understanding.  I want dreamers and entrepreneurs to go to my site and feel like they can do it! “

She also wants to show people the real side of being a creative person.

“Not everything is as fabulous as it looks,” she says.

“There are both ups and downs to starting your own business and following your dreams.”

Dee’s launch party is on Thursday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Maybee Brewing Co. on 559 Wilsey Road.

You can follow her on Instagram, and check out her website, www.deewilkie.com

Top photo by Barry McClusky 

Model: Victoria Deveau

 

10 things you should know about Nora Swimwear

If you haven’t already heard, a trendy new line called Nora Swimwear is launching tomorrow at 11 a.m. (ADT.)

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to spend some time with the creator, Ashley Lemmon. I got to learn about her business, and model all her swimsuits (which are so comfy, by the way.)

I had a lot of questions about her products, and she gave me some great answers.

Here are 10 things you should know about Nora Swimwear AND its creator.  

1.The name Nora comes from her first initial design

Ashley: The name becomes a muse for me, and I design around that. The name came from the first initial design for the marble bikini, and it stuck. I looked into the meaning behind it, and it means ‘light’ and ‘honour’, which ended up being pretty central to Nora Swimwear’s brand values. Nora is soft, welcoming, and positive.

2. Ashley isn’t a trained designer, but taught herself how to draw

 Ashley: I taught myself how to draw, but it’s a work in progress. The key for me was working with a manufacturer that could understand my designs and the look I was going for. Detail is key, and I’ve found myself to be quite the perfectionist when it comes to these bikinis.

 3. Nora Swimwear is inspired by the Mediterranean and Bali Beach culture

Ashley: I like to take inspiration from the Mediterranean and Bali beach culture, because there are so many great styles and themes there. But the inspiration comes from many places. For me, it starts off with a name, then from there I pull inspiration from textiles, fashion, and aesthetics.

4. She got the idea after reading #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso (founder of Nasty Gal)

Ashley: I always knew I wanted to start my own line one day, I just didn’t expect it to be swimwear. It’s quite surprising because swimwear has always been a huge importance in my life. Bikini season is more than bikini season for me, it’s when I search for the best of the best because I think swimwear is so versatile and can make a woman feel so confident if they find the right one. For me, the ‘ah-ha!’ moment came when I realized I had all the tools to make it happen. I had some free time over christmas break and I started to get back into sketching. I spent a few days straight focusing on just getting ideas down on paper and then it kind of all happened from there. I realized that I had the drive, the idea, and the timing all matching up— so it was clear to me to just go for it. Thank you, Sophia Amoruso.

5. Her current designs are named after two super models, and the moon

Ashley: All three names work really well together as they holistically form the soft yet confident aesthetic. Stella, meaning ‘star’ was named after model Stella Maxwell. She has a super confident, edgy, and tomboy look but she can totally rock the feminine too. I designed this bikini with that in mind. Luna, meaning ‘moon’ wasn’t actually named after anyone in particular. The marble is made with swirling and melting colours of grey and white, which reminds me of the moon. Gigi, meaning ‘light’, was named after Gigi Hadid. She has such a fun, go-getter attitude about life and this bikini was made to suit a girl with a similar personality.

 6.More Nora Swimwear designs may be on the way

Ashley: As of right now, I’m just hoping people love them as much as I do. The more I can sell, the more I can offer. For next season I am hoping to offer more designs, more colours, and more sizes. Maybe in the future, some beach wear too!

7. Nora Swimwear designs are fit to be flattering on all body types

Ashley: I used to be terribly insecure in swimwear, so I tried to take all the little details into consideration to produce a bikini that will be flattering on different body types and sizes. Nora Swimwear is for women that want to feel good and look good wearing a bikini. I made them hoping that they would make women of various body types feel confident! I also made them with a teenage girl like me in mind.

8. Ashley was born in Bermuda, and is obsessed with beaches.

Ashley: I was born in Paget, Bermuda (Paget is my middle name) and I am obsessed with beaches. If I could live in Bermuda and design swimwear for a living, that would be a dream.

9. It’s a business that gives back

Ashley:  A portion of every purchase will be donated to The Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA), an organization that provides micro-loans to women in low-income situations in third-world countries. The idea is that through these bikinis, women can connect wherever they are in the world.

10. She couldn’t have done it alone

Ashley: Without a doubt, Nora Swimwear would not be a thing without the help from friends. I’ve had amazing photographers, models, make-up artists, and friends involved that have helped make my dream become a reality. So a big shoutout goes to those people, I owe you everything!

These swimsuits are limited. So check out the Nora Swimwear pop-up shop tomorrow at Tilleul (593 King Street from 11-5 p.m.) or you can order them online here.

 

 

**Feature photo by Denis Duquette**

 

Meet Model and Photographer, Samantha Kim

Name: Samantha Kim
Age: 23
Height: 5-1
Birth Place: Saint John, NB
Graduated from: St. Thomas University
Current location: Toronto
Occupation: Event coordinator at The Vintage Conservatory (an exclusive wine cellar club)

If you’re from Fredericton or Toronto, and you’re an Insta-addict, you’ve probably seen @realsamanthakim. This Saint John-born beauty graduated from St. Thomas University in 2015 and moved from Fredericton to Toronto last year to be with her boyfriend (now, ex-boyfriend.)

She’s a no-agent model, a photographer, and an event coordinator. In a short amount of time, she’s managed to make a name for herself in one of Toronto’s trendiest subcultures—the modelling and photography community. On average, she books up to five well-paying gigs a month (according to Samantha, a good gig would pay close to $40 per hour.)

She started modelling in Fredericton for students at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. When she arrived in Toronto, a local photographer spotted her Instagram, and she developed relationships and started getting booked. She now does modelling for local clothing companies, has been involved in special projects like rooftopping and a street series, and was recently in a Tory Lanez music video. (If you don’t know who he is, he’s a rising R’n’B star from TO, best known for his songs “Say It” and “L.A Confidential.”) Samantha appears in his music video for the song “Ride.” The video was directed by Ryan Butler, Justin Bieber’s childhood best friend.

Samantha says it’s hard for her to be a model because of her size. She is described as petite-curvy.

“They will always look at the taller girls first,” says Samantha.

But Samantha is edgy, loquacious, and amusing—she stands out. She’s also an impressive shutterbug and is co-hosting a portrait meet up with photographer Gina Chung on June 4 in Toronto. (If you’re interested in photography or modelling, I strongly encourage you to sign up!)

After graduating from St. Thomas University, her original plan was to go to law school, but she likes her current job as an event coordinator, and plans to stay in Toronto for a while.

Samantha hopes to get into commercial modelling.

“I would like to do stuff for companies like Shoppers Drug Mart.”

She likes academia, and plans to save money for her master’s degree.

FUN FACTS:

• Speaks Mandarin

• Has been to China three times

• Loves to watch Law and Order: SVU

• Photography handle is @jinmansha